Getty Georgia Southern looks to take down unbeaten James Madison.
Twenty-fifth ranked James Madison faces one of its toughest tests of the season on Saturday, October 15, against Georgia Southern.
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The game (4 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on TV, but anyone in the US can watch James Madison vs Georgia Southern live on ESPN+ right here:
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JMU vs Georgia Southern Preview
James Madison (5-0) crashed the top 25 rankings in its FBS debut this season, but the Dukes face a big test against Georgia Southern (3-3) on Saturday.
“I think that is great publicity for the university, our program, athletic department, our boosters, the people that care so much about James Madison and followed them through the years,” JMU head coach Curt Cignetti said via The Associated Press.
“It’s sort of another barrier, took another step,” Cignetti added. “It’s not a final destination and obviously doesn’t affect anything that’s going to go on between the lines and our guys understand that, too.”
JMU and Georgia Southern go back to their FCS days where the Eagles owned the Dukes. Georgia Southern has won seven straight against JMU, but that all dates back to the 1990s and 1980s when the Eagles were king of the FCS and JMU wasn’t.
This year’s Georgia Southern squad has a Power Five win over a struggling Nebraska program while JMU doesn’t have a Power Five team on the schedule this year. The Dukes notably beat Appalachian State, which beat Texas A&M earlier in the season.
Things haven’t been smooth for Georgia Southern of late with losses to Coastal Carolina and Georgia State the past two weeks. The Eagles still have a quality rushing attack led by Jalen White, who had 521 yards rushing and eight touchdowns last season.
“When you play a game where you have five turnovers and have a lot of self-inflicted wounds, those are the games you’re going to lose in the fourth quarter,” said Eagles head coach Clay Helton said via The Associated Press.
Gerald Green also makes plays out of the backfield for the Eagles. He has 316 yards and four touchdowns this fall.
JMU boasts the second-toughest defense in the FBS, at least statistically. The Dukes allow 227.4 total yards per game.
“They have one of the best defenses not only in this league but in the country,” Helton added. “They have a team that warrants being talked about nationally and they deserve the ranking they have.”